Good Shepherd Lutheran Church / Friday, November 13, 2020 / Categories: Publications, Daily Devotions Daily Devotion Linda Hardin I’m writing this on the eve of our election and praying for everyone tomorrow – the candidates (on both sides), the voters, and those who oversee the operations and will be counting those precious ballots. I’m also reflecting on the amount of listening that has gone on in this election season…. Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Bible, providing good advice for just about any situation you may find in life. Proverbs 18:13 is a favorite verse, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” God gave us two ears and one mouth – I’ve always agreed with Dr. Covey’s statement from the 7 Habits book that we need to listen first to understand, then be understood. Yet I am as guilty as anyone of mentally preparing my answer even before someone has finished their statement. We know that the definition of effective communication is when the receiver receives the same message intended by the sender. There are many types of listening – think active, empathetic, attentive, reflective - but they all require one thing – a choice. We hear automatically but make a choice to focus and listen through our eye contact, posture, body language, and repeating what is said to show that we understand. How different (easier) would life be if all messages were really received? Your takeout order, your interaction with your family and friends, and I’m sure you can think of many others. It might be fun to experiment over the next few days – be intentional about your listening and see what a difference it makes in your life. Previous Article Daily Devotion Next Article Daily Devotion Print 8012 Rate this article: 4.7 1 comments on article "Daily Devotion" Danelle Buelsing Wise advice from Proverbs and from you. Thank you, Linda! 11/16/2020 8:47 PM Reply to Leave a comment Name: Please enter a name. Email: Please enter an email address. Please enter a valid email address. Comment: Please enter comment. I agree This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data. You must read and accept this rules. Add comment